Check in Georgia – a Main Cultural Campaign of the Year

2016 started quite fascinatingly for Georgian music-lovers. In order to promote Georgia’s tourism potential, Georgia’s Ministry of Culture launched a wide-scale campaign entitled "Check in Georgia" that brought world-class music stars to the Europe-aspired country.

One of the inaugural performers of the campaign was a British mega-star and singer-songwriter Robbie Williams (RW), who gave a breathtaking performance on May 27 at Dynamo Arena Tbilisi. The charismatic singer and showman performed his top hits for the audience of over 38 thousand and entertained his fans from Georgian and beyond.

Even though it was Robbie’s first time in Georgia, he stated that he should have arrived earlier and he will “compensate the mistake” in the future. “Georgians even knew the lyrics for my song Candy, which went beyond my expectations,” Williams declared after the concert.

Apart from RW, on June 7, a US pop-rock group Maroon 5 visited Georgia’s coastal city of Batumi, who were impatiently expected by their Georgian and foreign fans. Although the weather on the concert day did not cooperate, Adam Levin’s worldly known group maintained their positive mood throughout the entire show. In particular, having Maroon 5 with their top hit ‘Sugar’ truly amazed the audience. Last but not least, the American band and Georgian Folk ensemble Erisioni creatively mixed Georgian folk and American pop, that appeared to be an unprecedented fusion of the two distinct genres.

“Check in Georgia” is a wide-scale series of cultural events that will be held throughout Georgia during 2016. The Culture Ministry says that the project will carry a traditional nature and broaden in scope from year to year.

According to Mikheil Giorgadze, Minister of Culture, it is highly significant that the events within the campaign are not concentrated solely in Tbilisi but 19 different spots in the country. “It is of utmost importance that such performers visit Georgia, which means that the country is ready to host world-class artists in terms of either infrastructural or human resources.” Giorgadze believes that the initiative will enhance Georgia’s positive image internationally.

Check in Georgia aims at transforming Georgia into a cultural center in the region and beyond and attract larger numbers of tourists to the country.

Next concert of June 18 will take place in Kutaisi involving a Spanish Tenor Jose Carreras.